The Consequence
by OhMyGubex
Summary: The team tries to track down a serial killer who targets the wives of powerfull men. When the case takes a turn for the worse & one of the BAU's very own is put in danger, can Morgan control his own feelings long enough to stop 'that sick son of a b***h'
1. The Case

**This is our first ever attempt at fan fiction, we've tried to set it out as much like an actual episode of CM as possible. It's based mainly around Morgan & Garcia, that's all we're syaing! Please Reid and review ;) **

**We don't own Criminal Minds.**

_'You see what power is - holding someone else's fear in your hand and showing it to them.' - Abraham Lincoln_

A middle aged woman, with blonde hair tied into a sleek bun, glances up from the breakfast bar of her large, modern kitchen as her husband enters the room and makes himself a cup of coffee.

"Don't forget, tonight, honey. It's Sarah's dance recital, you know how much it'd mean to her if you were there." She says in a pleading tone.

"I'll try and get away, but we're really busy at the moment, what with the election coming up." The man replies nonchalantly, turning away to fix the tie of his expensive business suit in the reflection of the window.

"But you promised her" His wife protests.

"Don't sweat, they'll be plenty more. See you sweetheart." He leans down and kisses her routinely on the forehead, rubs her arm and leaves abruptly. The woman sighs and turns back to her bowl of muesli. There is the sound of a door slamming from within the house. The woman turns around and calls out:

"Sarah, I thought you'd already left for school?" She rises and leaves the room, peering into the hallway.

"Sweetie, you're going to be late!" approaching the stairs and pausing to listen. "Sarah?" At the top of the stairs the woman opens one of the many doors leading from the hallway as a figure materialises from behind. They wait to be noticed. As their unsuspecting victim turns around, she is met by a hand clamping over her mouth to muffle the scream that follows.

* * *

><p>Early in the morning, Reid and Morgan saunter into the office, coffee in hand, deep in discussion. "Did you know some individuals who claim never to have felt romantic love suffer from hypopituitarism, a rare disease that doesn't allow a person to feel the rapture of love?" Reid offers. Prentiss at her desk looks up and swivels round in her chair to join the conversation.<p>

"That must suck, it'd put a dampener on your sex life at the very least." States Prentiss, grimacing.

Morgan leans on Reid's desk, throws a mocking smile in his direction and jokily chimes "Yeah, how's that going for you Reid? Did your doctor say it was curable?"

Looking down uncomfortably at his feet, "That's not fair, I can fall in love, I just haven't found the person I'm chemically compatible with yet."

Morgan laughs at his awkward companion as Garcia enters the bullpen and says "You keep describing love like that and they'll be a line of ladies at your door Reid."

"I hope we're not being mean to my sugar plum again Morgan." Garcia scolds throwing him a warning glance. "I'll be at your door anytime you want sweet thing" As she sits on the other side of Reid's desk. Reid smiles uncomfortably.

"I was just questioning his method of romance." Morgan pleads with Garcia innocently, throwing his hands up in defeat.

"Oh honey, I could teach you some of my romance methods if you're that interested."She suggestively smiles.

"Anytime baby girl, anytime."

JJ sticks her head out of the conference room and summons in her team.

* * *

><p>The team assemble and JJ stands at the front to deliver the briefing. "What we have here are three murdered women, and one currently missing in the DC area within 4 months. All the victims were shot once in the temple and then dumped in various deserted areas of the city." Images of the three crimes scenes appear on the screen behind JJ.<p>

"The bodies have all been placed carefully and covered over, that's a typical sign of remorse." Rossi interjects.

"Looks like his conscience caught up with him a little too late." Prentiss added bemusedly.

"The victims were: Amelia Jones, Susan Hanks, Harriet Lawrence and Wendy Stanford who was reported missing 12 hours ago." Family pictures of each victim flashes up on screen.

"These women don't look the same, how do we know these murders were linked?" Asks Morgan, flicking through his file.

"Not only is the MO the same, but each victim comes from an upper middle class background, living in wealthy areas, they were all taken at home when no one else was around and here's where it gets interesting. The husband of each victim received a phone call about 10 minutes before approximate time of death demanding they 'confess their betrayals'. Henry Stanford has not yet received a call, so we can presume Wendy is currently still alive."

"Well that's a new one." Comments Rossi.

"That must be his signature. 'Confess their betrayals', it could indicate he personally feels betrayed by these men, or thinks the men have betrayed their wives in some way." Reid muses.

"Well, according to the time frames of the other murders, we have less than 12 hours to try and find Wendy so we need all hands on deck on this one. Garcia, I want you to come with us, it's only a short car journey." Hotch instructs, gathering files and standing to leave.

Looking flustered, Garcia nods "Er, yes Sir, my services are at your disposal."

"Alright everyone the cars leave in 20 minutes." Hotch closes the meeting and the team disperse.


	2. Investigations

**Thankyou for the kind reviews, they've motivated us to work our arses off to bring you another chapter today :)**

**The action starts next chapter, hope to upload by Sunday!**

* * *

><p>The SUV's pulled up outside a bustling police station. JJ leads the group as they approached the head detective. "Hey guys, Detective Warlow here, thanks for coming out."<p>

"Nice to meet you Detective, Jennifer Jareau, we spoke on the phone. These are agents Hotchner, Rossi, Prentiss, Morgan, Dr Reid and Garcia, our technical analyst." The Detective shakes each of the agent's hands before gesturing towards the station.

"Well if you'd like to follow me I'll show you where you can set up."

"Thank you Detective. JJ, Garcia and Reid will go with you, the rest of us are heading straight out into the field. Garcia, I want you to get the transcript for the phone calls to the husbands, give them to Reid to analyse. Reid, I want you to start a geographical profile." Hotch reels off orders, the three agents nod and depart with a slightly stunned detective. "As for the rest of us, Morgan and Prentiss I want you to visit the Stanford home, then take a look at the dump sites, see what you can pick up. Rossi, can you interview the previous victims' families solo? I'm going to babysit Mr Stanford and wait for the unsub's call."

"Sure thing boss, c'mon Prentiss, let's get rollin'." Morgan heads to one of the SUV's with Prentiss in tow.

* * *

><p>Morgan and Prentiss arrive at the Stanford's house to find a mob of journalists who instantly swarm them, yelling questions inaudible to the pair. "At this point we're not answering any questions, they'll be a press conference held later today. Now can you move out of our way, some of us have important work to do." Prentiss addressed the crowd and followed Morgan as he pushes past.<p>

"Woah, I wouldn't wanna be the guy that gets in your way Prentiss." Morgan sniggers as they enter the house.

Prentiss ignores his comment. "Wow nice house, if he's targeting well off families, it isn't that hard to pick them out."

Morgan approaches one of the CSIs. "Do we know how he entered the house?"

"There was no sign of any forced entry, but the back door was unlocked. He just sauntered in." Morgan nods and enters the kitchen where Prentiss is already absorbing the surroundings.

"So Wendy was sat eating here, but something must have caught her attention because she leaves her half eaten breakfast and goes upstairs." Prentiss says, miming the victim's actions.

"She can't have heard the unsub enter the house otherwise why would she be going upstairs, he came in through the back."

"Either way she ends up in this spot."

"The unsub approaches her from behind," Morgan re-enacts the abduction. Grabbing Prentiss around the middle causing her to jump and gasp. Turning round, she pushes him away.

"You're really not funny." Prentiss states with a small smile emerging, Morgan laughs in reply. "There are signs of a struggle so the unsub must have been strong to overpower her."

"It was a blitz attack, so he could be socially awkward and unable to charm his way into her home." Morgan pulls out his phone. "Hey pretty boy, what have you got for me?"

* * *

><p>"Geographically, this unsub has an unusually large hunting area, indicating he's comfortable in the city, he probably lives here." Reid states, looking over a large map of the city, with pins dotted on victims homes and dump sites.<p>

Interrupting, Morgan adds "He must have some way of getting around then, and it has to be big in order to transport the victims, possibly a van of some sort."

Garcia bounds over to Reid, transcripts in hand. "Is that my sexy God of all things delicious I hear?" She shouts across Reid, who flinches away. He puts the phone on speaker and sets in on the table, and then reads the transcripts at an abnormal pace.

"Hey mama, have you been keeping your pretty self busy?"

"Oh yes, Dr Reid here has been keeping me very busy." She says suggestively. Reid glances up, alarmed. "I've done the transcripts and now I'm running background checks on the victims and their respective spouses. My technical genius could flow more freely though, if I was in my own lair." Garcia grumbles.

"Don't worry, sweetness, I'll get you home soon." Morgan reassures.

"Sorry to interrupt your, uh, exchange. But these transcripts are pretty insightful. He pretty much repeats the same thing every time, not word for word, like he's memorised the conversations. In each one he says 'Confess your betrayals or she'll pay for what you've done, they always pay'"

Prentiss pipes up on the other line "'They always pay'. He could be talking from a past experience?"

"That's exactly what I thought, he seems exceptionally angry, calls the men 'disgusting low-life's' and no matter if the men confess or not, it's not enough for him. It's like he's only going through the motions of offering them redemption, he has no intention of releasing the women."

"Nice work, Reid, relay that to Hotch. Baby girl, what did you find on the victims?" Morgan casually inquires.

"Assuming you're referring to me and not Reid, squeaky clean and 'American dream' boring. None of our luxurious ladies work more than part time because they're supported lavishly by their super rich husbands. And by 'super rich' I mean, _too _rich. So I've done some sneaky digging on the hubbies. It turns out they all work for the government in some way, with a lot of power. It seems they abuse this power to earn themselves a bit extra on the side, if you know what I mean. Bribery, under the table deals, blackmail. You name it, these guys have gone there."

"That must be our link! That's the men's 'betrayals' to society, not just their wives. Excellent work as always, my techy little Goddess." Morgan flatters Garcia who smiles widely.

"Oh I know it, baby. I'll let Hotch know. Over and out, my pretties."


	3. The Call

**Sorry for the wait guys. We're loving the reviews, keep them coming! The action is just beginning ;)**

* * *

><p>"Good work Reid, keep digging guys." Hotch returns his phone to his pocket and strides back across the room to an anxious Henry Stanford. "Sir, it seems like you haven't been completely honest with us. Tell us more about your work."<p>

Henry looks down at his feet then back up at Hotch defensively. "You know everything about my work, there's nothing more to tell."

"Your wife's life may depend on this, think, have you been involved in any unauthorised or illegal deals?" Hotch replies sternly.

"This has nothing to do with my wife, she doesn't know anything."

"The unsub may be targeting your wife because of your actions." Hotch says accusingly. "Because he feels you've betrayed your duties and therefore your country. Now tell us everything."

"I got given a couple of thousand dollars to feed information to the opposition. It wasn't anything major, it's not like it would have helped them that much in the election. I've gotta get my kids into college, you know how it is."

"There's no point justifying it to me. Is there any way of tracing the bribes?"

"Well nothing was written on paper and the money was routed into my account from an international bank."

"They can still trace that, this could be how our unsub's getting his information." Suddenly the phone rang and both men turned towards it.

* * *

><p>Wendy wakes up from another short fit of restless sleep, she doesn't even bother struggling this time, her wrists are rubbed raw from fighting against the thick rope that binds her to a pipe running from floor to ceiling. The rest of the room is difficult to make out in the darkness. After what could have been hours but was probably only a few minutes, a door to her left flings open, making her flinch. Through it steps the intimidating form that Wendy knows to be the man who took her. It's the first time he'd entered the room since Wendy had been conscious. He is strongly built but walks as if he doesn't want to be noticed. As the man draws closer Wendy draws back until she's cowering against the wall, screaming against the cloth tied over her mouth. She looks into his face and is shocked to see how average his features are, she expected him to be a monster, not someone so ordinary.<p>

"If you keep screaming then you can't have this." He holds out a bottle of water. Wendy stopps screaming and nods her head. The figure carefully removes her gag and holds the bottle to her lips, she gulps the liquid desperately and guilt washes over the unsub's eyes.

"I'm sorry it has to be like this, that you have to suffer for your lecherous husband. It'll be over soon, I promise." He says, almost kindly. Wendy looks alarmed and confused.

"What are you talking about? What's my husband done? What are you going to do?"

"What's my husband done?" He mocks her, growing angry. "Your husband is scum, greedy scum. A job with so many opportunities isn't enough for him, he has to have more and he doesn't care who he steps on to get it. He has broken so many of his responsibilities, to his country, his work, to his family." The man was shouting now, leaning over Wendy who had begun sobbing.

"I don't understand. I don't understand what he's done. Please just let me go." She begs.

"Why don't you let him explain himself?" He smirks as he picks up his phone and dials.

* * *

><p>As Henry pauses before answering the call, Hotch urgently calls Garcia. "Garcia, the calls coming in, we need you to trace it <em>now<em>." Hotch keeps Garcia on the line but turns to Henry. "Remain calm, don't talk about you, keep the focus on your wife at all times. He has shown signs of remorse with the other victims, so make him see that Wendy is innocent in all of this." Hotch indicates for Henry to answer the phone.

"Hello, Henry Stanford here." He says, his voice shaking.

"You didn't even tell your wife did you? You'd think she would have wondered where all of that extra money was coming from."

"I'm sorry?"

"Don't act innocent with me you disgusting low life!"

"Is my wife ok, I want to know she's ok? What have you done with Wendy?"

"If she's not, it's your own fault."

Hotch signals Henry to keep the unsub talking. "This has got nothing to do with her; this is between you and me. She's done nothing wrong, she doesn't deserve this."

"She doesn't, but you do. Confess your betrayals or she'll pay for what you've done, they always pay."

Hotch whispering into his phone "Garcia, he's wrapping it up, do you have a signal?"

"Unfortunately, this guy knows what he's doing. He's re-routing the signal through tons of different phone towers." She replies, frantically typing.

Henry goes red with rage and begins to shout down the phone; "If you touch my wife, I will hunt you down and kill you! Do you understand me you son of a bitch?" Hotch lunges at the receiver but misses as Henry dodges. "What kind of coward picks off men's wives instead of standing up to him themselves? Come and face me you bastard!" Finally managing to wrestle the phone off Henry, Hotch puts the receiver to his ear, only to find it's already been disengaged. Hotch turns on Henry.

"What the hell was that? I told you to stay calm. What were you thinking?" He blazed.

"I was thinking that wife is in danger and that bastard's responsible. What else was I supposed to do?"

"You do realise you may have just killed your wife?"


	4. A Fight

**We've had rather a lot of fun bringing you this chapter, with some adorable coupling. Great Preid, Hossi (as an old married couple ;)) and Jorgan moments! It did nearly break our hearts at the end, we'll leave you to discover why...**

**Hope you enjoy, please Reid and review! :)**

* * *

><p>Hotch turns away from the distraught man and barks down the phone "Garcia, tell me you've got something? Wendy's life is now in your hands."<p>

"Oh great, so no pressure or anything. Luckily my streak of genius has managed to narrow down the area where the signal came from to a 5 square mile radius. That's the best I could do."

"We'll have to work with that then, we don't have much time. Call in the team and we'll meet back at the station."

The team were hastily assembled inside police headquarters. They turn to Reid to brief them. "Okay so thanks to Garcia, my geographical profile has been narrowed down a considerable amount and we're left with this area to work with." He indicates to a highlighted section of a map.

"That's far too large an area to cover in the short amount of time we have. What are we supposed to do? Drive around the area hoping to get lucky and bump into the unsub before he kills Wendy?" Rossi snaps exasperatedly.

"Realistically this just isn't going to work, and judging by the unsub's previous timelines we're probably already too late. I think we need to cut our losses, try to identify and target dumpsites within that area and we have a chance of catching the unsub." Hotch concedes.

"So she's collateral damage now, is she? I didn't think we worked like that, just giving up on someone's life. She is the whole reason we're here." Prentiss retorted, stepping towards Hotch angrily, Morgan puts out a hand to calm her.

Hotch goes to respond but Rossi speaks first, attempting to diffuse the situation. "We all get how you feel Prentiss, I'm upset too, but this an impossible situation and we need to act while we can, to stop him before he can put another woman at risk." Prentiss huffs crossly but steps back to indicate her acceptance.

Hotch once again takes control and issues orders. "Reid, find every possible dumpsite on that map, we'll take a team of officers, pair up and take a site each, let's move."

* * *

><p>Reid and Prentiss are sat in their SUV, Prentiss speeding wildly through the streets to their allocated zone, an empty car lot. Reid turns to her and studies her intently. Prentiss looks away from the road, notices her colleague's piercing stare and jokes "Careful you don't burn a hole through me with that look!"<p>

"Sorry, sorry, just...are you okay? You kind of went off on one in there." Reid confronts her.

"I know I stepped out of line, this case is just getting to me. The unsub thinks of himself as a vigilante but he's punishing the wrong people, if he's going to kill for that reason, the victims should be the husbands." She looks away awkwardly. "I know it sounds terrible."

"It's not terrible at all. It's completely rational to come to that conclusion. We all have cases that we find hard to deal with, you're so strong Prentiss, you'll be fine." He leans over and squeezes her hand comfortingly. "I'll always be here for you."

"Thanks Reid, maybe we can relieve the stress of this case with a Star Wars marathon? I'll bring the popcorn!" Prentiss suggests hopefully.

Reid looks excited. "Yeah, let's do it! We haven't watched those in ages, well 5 months, 2 weeks and 3 days." Prentiss throws back her head and laughs.

* * *

><p>Hotch and Rossi step out of their car and swiftly draw their guns, sweeping the perimeter of the deserted junk yard.<p>

"Clear" calls Hotch from behind a large pile of rubble.

"Clear here too" returns Rossi. The men regroup by the front of the lot.

"The unsub could still turn up, we should stake out in the car." Hotch suggests. "I'll let the others know we haven't got anything yet."

The two begin to walk but Rossi hesitates. "Hotch, what if Prentiss is right? What if by abandoning Wendy's cause, we're going against our basic principles?"

"Damn it Dave, I don't want to think about the moral repercussions of our actions. This is the line of action we've chosen; now I expect you to focus on it." With that a frustrated Hotch stalks towards the SUV.

* * *

><p>JJ closes her flip phone and turns to Morgan. "Hotch and Rossi don't have anything yet, but they're hanging around just in case. So far the other units haven't found anything either."<p>

"I just hope we haven't missed him, we'll be a body up but no closer to finding the unsub." He glances across to his companion who attempts a reassuring smile.

"Is it bad that a part of me hopes we don't run into the unsub on our lot?" JJ muses.

"Is JJ scared of the big bad man? Don't worry baby, Morgan'll protect you." Morgan teases flirtatiously.

JJ raises her eyebrows in protest "And who will protect you from me? I was going to say that I don't want to be faced with Wendy's dead body, I don't want to be the person that finds her." The mood turns serious as Morgan pulls up outside a forgotten construction site.

"Keep that pretty little head of yours up, we'll cross that bridge if we come to it." Morgan says softly.

The pair draw their guns and exit the SUV. "I'll take the left side; you take the right by all that equipment." He instructs, JJ nods determinedly and disappears behind a large skip.

Morgan slinks behind a half built wall and turns a corner. He catches his breath as he sees movement to his right. Unable to call out for JJ without revealing his position. He curses inwardly and heads towards the figure. Rounding the side of a dump-truck he calls out "FBI, PUT YOUR HANDS UP!"

He was greeted, not by the source of the movement, but by the lifeless body of Wendy. Lain on the floor in front of him, arms across her chest, with one gunshot wound through the forehead. Taken aback, Morgan hesitates and listens for a moment.

A large man leaps at him from behind, knocking the gun from his hand and both men to the floor. Morgan wrestles to gain back control, punching his opponent in the gut. "JJ get over here!" Morgan yells as he begins to rise from the floor and head towards his gun. He moves forward but is struck in the leg forcefully, causing him to fall to his knees. The unsub wraps his arms around Morgan's neck, cutting off his air supply. Morgan chokes for air, but recovers himself by reaching behind him, grabbing the unsub's clothing and throwing him over his shoulder.

JJ's calls ring out in the distance. Morgan replies breathily "Over here JJ!" Before leaning over the winded man and punching him straight in the face. Once again he reaches for his gun. And once again is stopped, this time by a knee colliding with his stomach. The unsub rolls on top of Morgan, pinning him to the floor. He returns Morgan's punch repeatedly. He hears JJ approaching and retreats, just as she rounds the corner.

"STOP, FBI!" JJ shouts and lets off a couple of shots that miss an already escaped unsub. She gives up all hope of giving chase when she notices Morgan laying bloody on the floor.


	5. The Waiting

**This is a pretty short chapter but we wanted to upload before we go on holiday. Unfortunately we won't be able to upload again for about a week :(**

**We hope you enjoy this chapter, it's super cute and kind of heart breaking /3**

* * *

><p>"MORGAN!" JJ races forward and falls down at her friend's side, feeling for a pulse. Discovering the reassuring thud of blood pumping through his artery, JJ patches through to Hotch to call for backup, sounding breathless and distressed.<p>

"Morgan's down, we need medical assistance right now. He's unconscious, still breathing but he's sketchy. It was the unsub... I couldn't stop him... I'm so sorry." She begins to cry as she frantically pulls Morgan into the recovery position and checks his various injuries.

Hotch's voice resonates through the earpiece "JJ try and calm down, we're on our way. The medics will be there in a few minutes, you need to focus on keeping Morgan alive."

"Yeah, uh, I think I got him. But I let the unsub get away and... Oh god, Wendy." JJ runs her hands through her hair, leans back onto her heels and lets her tears fall freely down her face.

* * *

><p>Reid and Prentiss rush into the hospital's waiting area, looking anxious. JJ is pacing the room agitatedly. Hotch and Rossi are sat in chairs across the room from each other. Hotch rises when he sees the pair enter.<p>

"What's going on? Is he ok? What happened?" Prentiss says hurriedly.

"He's fine, still unconscious. He has a cracked rib and some major bruising. He's on some strong pain meds so he won't be awake for a while." Hotch replies.

"Oh thank god." Prentiss lets out a sigh of relief and goes to sit by Rossi.

"How did Morgan get knocked unconscious in a fight? He's Morgan!" Reid exclaims.

"We did profile him as a strong man, and he obviously took Morgan by surprise." Rossi states calmly.

"And the unsub just got away? Now we've got another body, an injured agent and no suspect. Who knows when another murder will take place?" Prentiss asks angrily. JJ stops pacing, marches over to the window and turns her face from the group.

Seeing this display of obvious distress, Reid quietly approaches her. "Are you okay JJ? Were you hurt?" He places a hand on her arm.

JJ looks up to Reid with tear filled eyes. "This is my fault. Not only did I let the unsub get away, but I didn't even manage to get to Morgan in time to stop him getting hurt. Every time I split up from my partner something terrible happens to them. First with you..." Her sentence trails off and she can no longer meet his eyes.

Reid turns her to face him, forcing her to look at him again. "That's ridiculous JJ! This isn't your fault at all. Neither of you could have possibly known whether the unsub was there or not. Obviously Morgan was just as taken by surprise. You did everything you could, you saved his life." He pulls her awkwardly into a hug.

JJ glad of the comfort, puts her head into the crook of his neck and begins to cry quietly. "What if he blames me?" Reid strokes her back and hushes her soothingly.

"You know, someone's gonna have to call Garcia and let her know." Prentiss suggests.

"Thanks for volunteering Prentiss." Rossi returns. "Be sure to reassure her before she gets hysterical, and I would hold the phone a few inches away from your ear, just in case." He smirks comically as Prentiss glares in disdain. Ignoring the 'no phones in hospitals' rule, Prentiss flips out her mobile and dials.

* * *

><p>Garcia is lounging in her chair in a kidnapped office of the local PD when the phone rings beside her. She answers cheerily. "Your friendly oracle for all things spectacular. Speak and be heard, mortal."<p>

As she receives the unwelcome news from Prentiss, her face falls from a wide smile to positively anguished, eyes welling up. Then she shouts. "Why, in all of the heavens was I not told this before? Did you not think it important that letting me know my angel and my love was hurt! Tell me he'll be okay or I swear I will start throwing things." She stops her ranting to listen to Prentiss' attempts to console her as the tears spill over. "I'm on my way. And when I get there I'm going to see my baby and nothing will stop me."


	6. The Waking

**Hello! Sorry for the wait, we've been on holiday and have only just had the chance to upload. Plenty of gushy team action here, with a bit of unsub angst thrown in. Thankyou for all the reviews so far!**

**Enjoy :)**

* * *

><p>"HOW DARE HE! HOW DARE HE LAY HIS HANDS ON ME!" He yells rampaging around his living room, smashing and throwing any objects in his path at the walls. After a couple of minutes he finally calms down and makes his way to the bathroom, inspecting his face in the mirror. There is a bruise beginning to appear on his right cheek and a line of blood trailing from his nose. He grabs a towel and wipes his face, muttering "I'll make you pay for that you bastard. Nobody lays a hand on <em>me <em>and gets away with it. You men think you're all the same, your badge gives you the right to do whatever you please." He goes into his bedroom, picks up his gun and marches out of the door.

* * *

><p>Garcia practically sprints into the waiting area, making the five assembled agents jump in surprise. "Where is he? How is he? Can I see him? What's happening?" she pants, on the verge of hyperventilation. JJ steps forward, knowing how to calm her friend.<p>

"Garcia he's fine, he's perfectly stable he's just sleeping right now. We can all go see him later. Come and sit down and stop working yourself into a frenzy, we don't need two of you admitted." JJ jokes, taking Garcia by the arm and pulling her towards a seat. Garcia slumps down, letting out a big sigh.

"Thank god he's going to be okay, you don't know how worried I was when Prentiss called, I must have broken hundreds of traffic laws on my way here. I just don't know what I'd do, you know? If anything..." Her voice shakes, tears begin to pour down her face and she attempts to brush them away with a shaking hand. "He's my rock, the big strong protector, I need him to be that but now he's so vulnerable. Oh my poor baby!" She gives in to her tears and turns her face into JJ's shoulder, who is stroking the sobbing girls back.

"It's your turn to be the strong one for a little while; you need to be his bright Garcia to help him get better. You can make him better Garcia." JJ tries to comfort.

"None of us should even be here; my sweet man shouldn't be in a hospital bed." Garcia gestures in disbelief. "If you'd just gotten to him faster, or not even left him in the first place!" JJ draws back, hurt flashing across her features and Garcia snaps her head up, instantly realising her mistake. "God JJ, I didn't mean that at all, I'm sorry." She reaches out and pulls JJ back into a hug. "You did an amazing job saving him; I'm just being an emotional bitch."

"It's fine, I understand." JJ mumbles from the depths of Garcia's locks.

A doctor enters the room and all of the team stand bracingly. Taken aback, the doctor stutters "He's-uh, about to wake up and um, you can all go see him now, but try not to overwhelm him."

"Why ever would we do that?" Garcia snaps aggressively.

The doctor takes a step back, mumbles incomprehensively and backs out of the room as the team stampede towards the door.

* * *

><p>Garcia barges into the room, her eyes quickly meeting that of her injured companion. She reins in her anxiety and cautiously approaches his bed, the rest of the team close behind. "Hey sweet thing, it's your Garcia, how you doing?" Prentiss coughs presumptuously behind her. "And the rest of the team, of course, you had us all so worried." She reaches down and grabs his hand tightly in hers as he turns his woozy eyes to her. Garcia catches her breath as she notices the heavy bruising and cuts all over his face.<p>

"Hey baby girl. It's good to your sweet face; you can brighten up any hospital room." Prentiss once again clears her throat expectantly. "Hey Princess, not feeling left out are you?" The team happily converge around his bedside, with the exception of JJ who hangs back around the doorway.

"Glad to see you awake, big man." Prentiss smiles brightly and squeezes Morgan's other hand. He winces slightly, Prentiss notices and glances down at the bandages covering his knuckles, she apologizes.

"Is there anything we can get you baby boy?" Garcia chirps. "I'm your dedicated bedside nurse for the rest of your stay."

"Do you think I could take you home with me as well?" Morgan adds with a cheeky grin spreading across his face.

Reid scurries over to the window and adjusts the blinds so the sun rays fill the room. "You should probably open the blinds; it's statistically proven that the vitamins in sunlight increase the healing rate of superficial skin bruising."

"Er, thanks man, whatever you say." He smiles appreciatively, he turns to Hotch. "I want to apologise for letting the unsub get the better of me. I don't wanna be a further hindrance to the investigation. You guys should probably get back to the Police Station, I'll be fine here." Morgan says, putting on a brave face, trying to mask his wounded pride.

"None of this is on you Morgan; believe that, I won't tell you twice. You just need to concentrate on getting better; the rest of us will worry about where we need to be." Hotch scolds.

"That being said, we should probably let you rest and recuperate, we'll head back to the station and swing by to see you later." Rossi sensed Morgan wanted some time to himself.

"With all due respect, I don't feel comfortable leaving my baby in this state." Garcia says squaring up to Hotch.

"Fine," Hotch concedes. "You can take the first shift; Reid will drop by your laptop. I still expect you to be on call." Everyone says there goodbyes and turns to leave. As JJ follows behind Rossi, Morgan calls out.

"Hey, JJ where do you think you're going? Get your ass over here." JJ reluctantly turns back and approaches Morgan's side, as Garcia mutters something about coffee and leaves. "You didn't seriously think you'd get away with avoiding me did you?" His tone turns serious. "Are you okay?"

"I'm not the one confined to a hospital bed, are _you _okay?"

"Answering a question with a question, classic evasion technique."

JJ narrows her eyes at Morgan's quick profiling skills. "Even when you're drugged up you can't help but pull the profiler card."

Morgan chuckles then takes her hand, forcing JJ to meet his eyes. "I'm sorry for putting you through that. I made us split up, and I don't know how you must have felt seeing me like that. I just want to know that you're okay and you're not blaming yourself."

"Derek Morgan you know me so well. I can't believe you're apologising while telling me not to blame myself! Let's just agree to be equally to blame. Anyway, I should catch up with the others."

"I like the sound of that deal, come back and see me later, okay? When you leave send Garcia back in, she has some serious pampering to do to her baby boy." Both agents laugh and JJ leaves with a happier smile and lighter step.


	7. Devolving

**Sorry this chapter took so long, case of writers block a bit at the moment :/ this is mainly a filler chapter, but a cute one.**

**Morcia forever! :D**

* * *

><p>He strides up to the reception desk and with a confident and authoritative tone he addresses a nurse. "FBI SSA Howard, emergency message for the admitted agent, what room?"<p>

The young nurse, looking flustered types on her computer and answers. "Agent Morgan is on floor 4, room 217. Please don't agitate him he's quite gravely..." But the agent has already marched off towards to the elevators.

He approaches the door of room 217 but when he hears two voices coming from within, he draws back to listen, muttering. "Agent Morgan, you son of a bitch."

* * *

><p>"Do you feel more comfortable now, sweetness? Is there anything else I can get you?" Garcia croons, fussing relentlessly over her patient.<p>

"I feel glorious now, thanks to you, my goddess of healing" Slipping back into his usual flirtatious manner. "But you know what'd make me feel even better? A hug from my favourite girl, I can't believe you haven't hugged me yet!" He pouted for effect.

"How could I be so neglectful to my poor baby?" She rushes to his side as he struggles to sit up, wrapping her arms rounds his neck and perching on the side of his bed as he snakes his arms round her waist, pulling his best friend into a tight bear hug.

He breaths in the cherry scent of her hair and smiles as she turns her face blissfully into his chest. "Promise you'll never leave my side." Morgan mutters into her ear while outside, the unsub strains to hear.

Garcia pulls away and places a gentle hand on Morgan's cheek. "I promise if you do, you gave me a scare back there."

"Promise. I'm not quite done with this yet" He winks cheekily.

"Whatever would I do without you, Derek Morgan?" She grins and lays her head back on his shoulder.

"I love you, girl."

"Love you too."

* * *

><p>The unsub could only catch bits of the conversation, but from the body language being displayed this woman clearly meant a lot to Agent Morgan, and from what he did hear, it's clear the two of them are together. The unsub was fuming, this filthy had a woman to take care of his pathetic wounds while he was left alone to fend for himself. He grows red in the face with anger and he's just gearing himself to enter the room, when a phone rings from inside and the couple are distracted from each other's faces.<p>

Garcia gets up from the bed and answers her phone. "Go through Penelope."

"Garcia, there's been another murder, we need to get back to the PD now." Hotch demands.

"Do I have...?"

"Yes, Garcia, you do have to come back, I'm sorry, but he killed a cop. There wasn't even a phone call. He's devolving." The line goes dead. Garcia stares back at the cell for a few seconds.

Morgan tries to sit up in bed to get a better look at her face. "What was that about?" Garcia relays the content of the conversation, flustering as she turns to gather her things.

"Will you be alright on your own for a while?" Garcia looks down at him, a concerned look forming on her face.

"On my own? I don't think so, I'm coming with you!" Morgan climbs out of bed and detaches himself from the IV attached to his arm. Garcia rushes to his side and opens her mouth to argue, but is interrupted "If the unsub is devolving and at that rate, then the team needs everyone possible working on this. Plus, I'm not just gonna sit here and miss out on all the excitement!"

_Devolving, what the hell does that mean? _The unsub thinks getting ready to follow his enemy subtly from the hospital. _That's just like the FBI, twisting all my actions. Well I'll show them devolving!_

Garcia knew better than to stop Morgan on a rampage, she'd let Hotch deal with him when they got to the station. Morgan storms out of the room, brushing away numerous nurses in his path. As he passes the front desk in the lobby, the nurse in reception calls out "Oh Agent Morgan, I see you got your message, just make sure you take it easy."

"What message?" Morgan queried not pausing on his way out of the door.


	8. Thievery

**It's been ages since our last update, sorry guys! We won't distract you with waffle, there's dramaaa! (But thanks for reviews so far ;) )**

* * *

><p>Morgan strides pasts the desks in the police department and into the conference room. Garcia in tow, struggling to keep up. The team all look up alarmed to see Morgan standing, slightly hunched over, in the doorway.<p>

"Morgan, you're not fit to be on the case, why aren't you resting?" Hotch says sternly a note of impatience in his voice.

"Hotch, the unsub came to see me in the hospital. The son of a bitch asked one of the nurses if he could give me a message to try and find me."

"Did you get a description? Is there a chance he followed you here?" Hotch inquires, still impatient.

"No Hotch, I thought we could have a fun time guessing his appearance up ourselves. Of course we got a description. And I can't see how him following us _here_ is such an issue, it's not exactly hard to find the local police department." The team glance around at each other in dismay. The unsub was not only devolving, fast, but starting to stalk their team as well. "Who was the last victim?" Morgan queries.

"The latest victim was male, an actual politician this time, killed outside his own home. A lot of overkill." JJ states attempting to ignore the tension Morgan's outburst had created.

"So how do we know it's the same guy?"

"Because there was a witness, only a little girl, he was yelling the same phrases he uses in the phone calls. Prentiss has already interviewed the girl."

"Obviously the fight with Morgan has become a stressor which has lead to him completely changing important parts of his MO. He's consumed be rage, he's lashing out at anyone who resembles corrupted men. He can't have had enough time to find out if the last victim was actually corrupted." Rossi summarises.

"What's bugging me is why the unsub found you but didn't make a move. He's angry, why wouldn't he lash out?" Prentiss says concernedly.

Morgan scoffs angrily "I wish he had, I would have put him in a hospital bed of his own."

"He probably feels threatened by Morgan, he only won that fight because he had the element of surprise and he knows it. His physical confidence would have also been considerably knocked from him receiving some blows himself. I would guess he went there with the intentions of finishing you off but, er, chickened out." Reid easily profiles, attempting to include a colloquial term which only succeeds in sounding awkward.

"I think it's time we get our profile out to the police and the public. JJ can you set up a press conference and deliver the profile by yourself?" JJ nods competently and moves out of the room. "We also need to include the description the nurse gave. Rossi round up the officers, we need to move fast before he strikes again." Hotch gives his orders and the team rush to do his bidding.

* * *

><p>On the steps of the PD, JJ addresses the gathered mob of press, describing the unsub's appearance and urging the public to call their tip line with information. Inside, the police force is listening intently to the detailed profile, delivered by Hotch, Morgan, Prentiss, Reid and Rossi. Garcia is left alone in her stolen office, grumbling once more about her large amount of work with only limited resources to aid her. Specifically the lack of fluffy pens.<p>

He approaches the back door of the building and opens it cautiously, silently hoping there will be nobody on the other side. He finds himself in a long corridor that he stalks across, pausing when he comes to a familiar voice, echoing from the next room. It was that bastard, Derek Morgan delivering his know-it-all profile.

"These murders are all about revenge, he's acting out against the men, the women are collateral damage to him. The fact that he is repeating his revenge over and over again in a pattern probably indicates that the true source of his revenge is someone from his past..."

The man at the door had heard enough, what made this jumped up cop think he knew everything about him? Angered, he rushes towards the door he hopes will lead to the office he's been observing all day. Taking a deep breath, he knocks.

"Enter, mortal" A bright voice calls from inside. He reaches out and turns the knob, opening the door. Behind it is a blonde woman, exuberantly dressed with everything from clashing patterns to luminous jewellery. She was typing furiously onto one of the several keyboards surrounding her and only glanced up momentarily before returning to her screens, distractedly asking "Can I help you?"

He strides towards her, drawing out a pistol from his jacket. When he is only a few steps away from her she looks up and sees the gun, a horrified look spreading over her face, realisation dawning too late. He strikes her once across the head with the barrel of the gun. She slumps on to the desk, unconscious.

"Yes, I believe you can."


End file.
